Euphorbia plant named ‘Duestasufla’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Euphorbia  plant named ‘Duestasufla’, characterized by its compact, upright, outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; and numerous and relatively large inflorescences white-colored flower bracts.

Botanical designation: Chamaesyce hypericifolia.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DUESTASUFLA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Euphorbia plant, botanically known as Chamaesyce hypericifolia and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duestasufla’.

The new Euphorbia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact and freely branching Euphorbia plants with numerous large inflorescences.

The new Euphorbia plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary selection of Chamaesyce hypericifolia identified as code number EW09-0599-0030, not patented. The new Euphorbia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of the parent selection in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany in May, 2012.

Asexual reproduction of the new Euphorbia plant by vegetative tip cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany since June, 2012 has shown that the unique features of this new Euphorbia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Euphorbia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Duestasufla’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Duestasufla’ as a new and distinct Euphorbia plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright, outwardly spreading and mounding plant         habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Numerous and relatively large inflorescences white-colored         flower bracts.

The new Euphorbia can be compared to plants of the parent selection. Plants of the new Euphorbia differ primarily from plants of the parent selection in inflorescence size as plants of the new Euphorbia have larger inflorescences than plants of the parent selection. In addition, plants of the new Euphorbia are more freely branching than plants of the parent selection.

Plants of the new Euphorbia can also be compared to plants of Euphorbia hypericifolia ‘Silverfog’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,858. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Euphorbia differed from plants of ‘Silverfog’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Euphorbia were more compact than plants of         ‘Silverfog’.     -   2. Plants of the new Euphorbia had smaller and darker         green-colored leaves than plants of ‘Silverfog’.     -   3. Plants of the new Euphorbia had larger inflorescences than         plants of ‘Silverfog’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Euphorbia showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Euphorbia plant.

The photograph is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Duestasufla’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the summer in 12-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Rheinberg, Germany and under cultural practices typical of commercial Euphorbia production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 22° C. and light levels averaged 4,500 lux. Plants were pinched one time three weeks after planting and were 16 weeks old when the photograph and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chamaesyce hypericifolia ‘Duestasufla’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary     selection of Chamaesyce hypericifolia identified as code number     EW09-0599-0030, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact, upright, outwardly             spreading and mounding plant habit; broad inverted triangle;             moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching, usually about three to             five primary branches each with numerous secondary and             tertiary lateral branches developing per plant.         -   Plant height.—About 16 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 35 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 23.1 cm. Diameter:             About 1.7 mm. Internode length: About 1.8 cm. Strength:             Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close             to 146A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite; simple.         -   Length.—About 1.6 cm.         -   Width.—About 7.9 mm.         -   Shape.—Elliptical.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate to acute.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Pubescent.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Pubescent; rugose.         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C. Fully             developed leaves, upper surface: Close to 139A; venation,             close to 137C. Fully developed leaves, lower surface: Close             to 137C; venation, close to 137C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 9.2 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A. -   Inflorescence description: Inflorescence type and flowering habit:     Relatively large inflorescences are compound corymbs of cyathia with     white-colored flower bracts subtending the cyathia; inflorescences     positioned above and beyond the foliar plane; freely flowering habit     with hundreds of inflorescences per plant.     -   -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower naturally during the             spring and summer in Germany; inflorescence initiation and             development can be induced under artificial long nyctoperiod             conditions; early flowering habit, response time is about             eight weeks under long nyctoperiod conditions.         -   Post-production longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance and bract color for about ten days; inflorescences             persistent.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 2.9 cm.         -   Inflorescence height (depth).—About 1.9 cm.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: Two; opposite,             fused at the base. Length: About 5.8 mm. Width: About             1.8 mm. Shape: Elliptic to lanceolate. Apex: Rounded to             acute. Margin: Entire. Aspect: Mostly flat. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Venation pattern:             Pinnate. Color: Developing bracts, upper and lower surfaces:             Close to 155D. Transitional bracts, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 155D. Fully developed bracts, upper and             lower surfaces: Close to 155D; venation, close to 155D;             color does not change with development. Bract petiole:             Length: About 1.7 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface:             Close to 146B to 146C. Color, lower surface: Close to 146B.         -   Cyathia.—Quantity per inflorescence: One. Length: About             4 mm. Width: About 0.75 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Immature, inner and outer surfaces: Close             to 144A. Mature, inner and outer surfaces: Close to 144A.             Nectaries: Quantity per cyathium: Two. Length: About 1 mm.             Diameter: About 1 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Immature, inner             and outer surfaces: Close to 146B and 155D. Mature, inner             and outer surfaces: Close to 146B and 155D.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.5 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to             146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per cyathium: About             four. Filament length: About 0.5 mm. Filament color: Close             to 155D. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: About 0.5 mm.             Anther color: Close to 158C. Amount of pollen: Scarce.             Pollen color: Close to 158D. Pistils: Quantity per cyathium:             One. Pistil length: About 3 mm. Style length: About 0.5 mm.             Style color: Close to 155D. Stigma shape: Crested. Stigma             color: Close to 155D. Ovary color: Close to 144A. Seeds and             fruits: Seed and fruit production have not been observed on             plants of the new Euphorbia. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Euphorbia have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about     40° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Euphorbia have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Euphorbia plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Euphorbia plant named ‘Duestasufla’ as illustrated and described. 